This invention is generally in the field of optoelectronics and particularly in the field of optical communications.
The use of a light emitting diode ("LED") and either a photodiode or phototransistor, along with appropriate supporting circuitry, to create an optical transceiver is known. A typical communications channel is implemented by two such optical transceivers, the LED in the first transceiver being in optical communication with the photodiode or phototransistor in the second transceiver and the LED in the second transceiver being in optical communication with the photodiode or phototransistor in the first transceiver. Such a pair of transceivers forms an optical serial communications channel. The transceivers typically operate in the infra-red ("IR") optical frequency band.
Known implementations of these optical transceivers have several deficiencies. They are constructed from a plurality of discrete components, which together occupy a significant amount of printed circuit board ("PCB") area. In all known implementations, the LED, and photodiode or phototransistor are discrete, two- or three-pin devices. These components often require manual insertion into the PCB, initial manual alignment, and are always subject to the loss of that alignment, as the two-or three-pin package is not very stable and can be easily bent or damaged. The number of positions that the components can be mounted into or on the PCB to form a viable communications channel is also very limited.
An integrated optical transceiver capable of easy and durable installation into or on a PCB, in any number of positions, and which occupies less PCB area would be a significant advance over known optical transceivers.